Erik Pontoppidan 1698 – 1764
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1 A Progressive Economic Editor1 Erik Pontoppidan 1698 – 1764 Arild Sæther, Professor Emeritus Agder Academy of Sciences and Letters Kristiansand, Norway e-mail: [email protected] Abstract Erik Ludvigsen Pontoppidan is known, as the great spokesman for the pietistic movement in Denmark-Norway in the 18th Century. The fact that he through his scientific work, economic writings and not at least through his editorial work, played an important role in the foundation of political economy as a science is almost unknown. Pontoppidan made a remarkable career. He graduated from the University of Copenhagen with a degree in theology in 1718. After posts as house teacher in Norway, and travels and studies in the Netherlands and England he became a Vicar in 1726. In 1735, he was appointed Parson of the King's Court. Three years later he became professor extraordinary at the University, and in 1742 a member of the newly established and very prestigious Royal Academy of Sciences. He was appointed Bishop of Bergen in 1747. In 1755 he became full professor of theology and pro-chancellor of the University, a post he held until his death in 1764. Pontoppidan's career as a writer started in 1726 when he published a small essay defending the pietistic views. From this year on he did research and published regularly in the fields of theology, languages (dialects), topography, history and finally political economy. In 1755 Pontoppidan became editor of the new journal Danmark og Norges Oeconomiske Magasin (The Dano-Norwegian Economic Magazine). This journal became under his editorship a progressive economic journal and is today a treasury for the understanding of the development of political economy as a science and the Dano- Norwegian Age of Enlightenment. The ideas and suggestions for the improvement of society expressed in this journal became very important in relation to the struggle for economic reforms, which began in several areas in the last quarter of the 18th century. Leader of the Pietistic Movement Erik Ludvigsen Pontoppidan was born 1698 in Aarhus, the second largest city in the dual monarchy Denmark-Norway. An early orphan he lived with different relatives. He became a student of theology at the University of Copenhagen in 1716 and graduated in 1718. During his theological studies Pontoppidan, had been strongly influenced by the German pietistic movement with its centre in Halle. According to the pietists the church should be based on the religious experience and fear of God of its individual members and that conversion and Christian life was more important than the teaching in its self. Pontoppidan made after his university graduation a remarkable career. First, he was a house teacher in Christiania (Oslo), Norway from 1719-20. Thereafter he travelled for two years as a butler for a young aristocrat to England and Holland. During these travels, he also studied and during his stay in Utrecht he made personal contact with the reformed revival movement. After his return, he became a house teacher and a preacher to the court of Count Frederick Carl von Plön. 1 Previous versions of this paper has been presented at the History of Economics Society (HES) 29th Annual Meeting July 5-8, 2002 at University of California Davis and at The 38th Meeting of the Norwegian Association of Economists. NTNU Trondheim 04-05.01.16 2 He became a vicar in 1726, and in 1734 he was appointed to the office of parson at the royal castle Fredriksborg by King Christian VI (1730-46), who himself was strongly attracted by the pietistic movement. This was quite a step upward, since it also gave him the opportunity to meet and become friendly with some of the most influential people in the realm, among them Count Moltke and Count Holstein. In 1735, Pontoppidan was appointed parson of the king's court in Copenhagen and three years later, he was appointed professor extraordinary in theology at the University. He became a member of the newly established and very prestigious Royal Academy of Sciences in 1742. With these promotions, Pontoppidan became chief adviser in religious affairs to the king and the defacto leader of the Danish-Norwegian State pietism. This system had, according to Gilje and Rasmussen (2001), a paradoxical character. What should have grown from below through the Christian experience of individuals, organised in small groups within the church, was in stead carried out as a reform in the king's name. Here a strengthening of religious knowledge through education was in the centre. The pietistic movement could, according to Dyrvik (1978) be considered as "an enlightenment to the people" project. Obligatory elementary schooling, with religion as the main subject, was introduced in 1737 and confirmation in 1739. Pontoppidan was asked by King Christian VI to write an explanation to the catechism and a new hymnbook. For almost 150 years his textbook in religion "Sandhed til gudfryktighed" (Truth to Piety), which was published in 1737 and introduced against strong resistance, was the mostly used textbook in elementary schools and confirmation classes. Again, according to Gilje and Rasmussen (2001), conversion and Christian life was more important in Pontoppidan's "Truth to Piety" than the teaching but what was really taught was not conversion but the teaching about it. When Christian VI died in 1746 and Frederick V (1746-66) became king, everyone knew there would be changes. The new king wanted to get rid of the pietists at the king's court. Pontoppidan was therefore offered an appointed as bishop of Bergen when this position became vacant in 1747. Given the political situation, he dared not reject the offer. By way of consolation, he was also on this occasion exempted from censorship. As bishop, he took a keen interest in Norwegian affairs and continued his project of state pietism and reforms. The introduction of elementary schools for the children of common people is Pontoppidan's doing. This school system became under his supervision much more effective then in Denmark. He was also actively behind Seminarium Fredricianum, a teaching training college, established to furnish the new schools with qualified teachers. Pontoppidan's career as a writer started in 1726 when he published a small essay (in German) where he defended the pietistic views. From this year, he did research and published regularly through his whole life in the German, Latin and Danish languages, in the fields of theology, languages (dialects), topography, history and finally economics. During his stay in Bergen, he published a Norwegian dictionary "Clossarium Norvagicum" in 1749 and an important description of Norway. "Det første forsøg paa Norges naturlige Historie" (The first Attempt of a Natural History of Norway) was published in 1752-53. This two volume work is thoroughly research work, which also include elements of political economy. These volumes of 800 pages have more than 190 names in the reference list. It is in this work that Pontoppidan (1977 [1752]: 116) discusses the deposits in the North Sea where we can find running oil streams or "streams of petroleum, naphtha, sulphur, anthracite deposits and other bituminous and oily saps". Pontoppidan as an Economist Count Johan Ludvig Holstein (1694-1763), who was then president of the Danish chancery, wanted more stable conditions at the University. He wanted a person with authority 3 who could make himself respected among the professors. Corresponding to his own wish, Pontoppidan was therefore called back to Copenhagen in 1755. To give him the necessary authority he was appointed both professor of theology and pro- chancellor of the University with special responsibility for finances and reforms. These positions he held until his death. His efforts to put some reforms through were; however, met with strong resistance from the university staff and professors, and his attempts to force the professors to put more time and energy into their lectures and seminars were not favourably received. Pontoppidan had, during this time, greater success in his own research and authorship. Along with his theological studies, he continued his work with historical, geographical and finally economic issues. In his book "Eutropii Philadelphi Oeconomiske Balance" from 1759, which is his major work in pure political economy, he tried to give a survey of the resources of the country so that they could be more efficiently utilised and the welfare of the country increased. In this book, the emphasis is laid on giving a description of economic conditions in general and the balance of payments in particular, and as such it was a pioneer work when it was published. It was also immediately translated and published in German. This book, and his other sketchier writings on economic issues, makes it difficult to put Pontoppidan into a particular school of thought. On one hand, he expresses views that is clearly in the mercantile system but on the other hand he expresses thoughts that it is more in line with the view of the French physiocrats. He maintains that agriculture is the most important industry, but at the same time he claims that manufacturing industries and handicraft should be promoted so that money could remain in the realm. Bisgaard (1902), in his survey of Danish economics in the 18th Century, calls Pontoppidan a liberal economist. In his History of Danish Literature (1931), Professor Andersen asserts that his economic writings "are just as his writings on theology in that it hangs in the balance: Orthodox mercantilism and Physiocratic heresy". The historian Cedergren Bech in his Danish History (1970) claims that he "writes in the spirit of mercantilism, but is also influenced by the new economic trends". Pontoppidan's contribution to the development of economics as a science can, however, not be evaluated only on the merit of his own writings.